The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-07-08
PRAYING FOR RAIN.

Portions of Illinois and Wisconsin Suffer
ing for RaIn-CrOwds Gather and Pray
for Deliverance-From Humility TO HI
disappointed.
CAMBRIDGE, Ill, July 1.-The country ls
burning up under a blazing sun. No such /
drouth as now prevails has existed in this |
section of the country for many years. The |
roads are ankle-deep with dust, the pastures |
are brown, the leaves on forest and shade |
trees shriveled up, and each hot breath OF |
air from the cloudless horizon drives them |
away in showers. Creeks have run dry and
the water in the larger streams is at low
er stage than was ever known before. Many
wells have been pumped dryy and IN cases
water for family use has to be be carried
one or two miles. There has not been
soaking rain in this part of the country
since March. Two showers in April and one
each in May and June had but temporary
effect on crops. Unless a heavy rain comes
speedily all kinds of grain will be we'll nigh
destroyed. Stunted yellow spears bending
disconsolately over immense beds OF dust
are the only evidence that the farmers
sowed any corn this year. The leaves OF the
fruit trees are falling off, and the frult
which promised to be plenty is wrinkled and
dried to the stem. Raspberry bushes look
as though they were producing crop OF
shot, so lnfinitesimal and hard are the Der
| ries.
The drouth has become so terrible that
public prayers are being offered for rain
| The fences along the country roads and the
| dead walls of the villages are plastered
| with huge yellow and red bills calling Tor
| special services at the district school-houses
and churches. The following poster at
tracted particular attention: Prayer for
Rain-SpeciaI service will be held in the
| Congregational Church, Tuesday, June y,
| at ten a. m. It is hoped that the members
of the different churches, the farmers OF
the district and the business men OF our
town will devote the above hourto pleading
with Heaven for rain to save our crops from
ruin. Cambridge, Ill, June %, 1887" 1t
was noon before the last farmer tied his
| horse in the shed of the church and joined
the supplicants. Nearly all the business
houses in the city were closed. The not
sun streamed through the open windows
and made the room uncomfortable
After a short address. in which Rev. Dr..
Eldredge spoke of the object Of the meet
ing. the horny-handed and tanned yeoman-
rv fell upon their knees, while the pastor
offered up most pit1ful prayer During
the supplication, which lasted fully half an
! hour there was a constant fnsilade oi
''Amens'' and 'Glory to God" from the
faithful. The scene was unlike any thing
ever seen here before, and many who VIII
messed it were moved to tears. The farms
and homes of many gray-haired men de
| mend upon the speedy answering of thi
. prayer When the sun went down Tues
: | day night not cloud obscured the sky, ant
when the morning came the air was a
! sitting and lifeless as at any time durlnj
the drouth.
A prayer-meeting was held on the farm
of Jules Lippincott last night. Farmer
!, came from miles around, and when all wa
ready men and women fell upon thel
+ knees, and lifting their faces to the stars
implored God to send rain. At that hou
a a bank Of rain clouds crept slowly out c
I the southwest and soon spread over tn
entire horizon. The prospect of deliver
y ance from the ruin that faced them droV
= many of the men delirious with JOY, and th
q meeting which a few moments before wa
n of the most lugubrious character no
n broke up with a dance and prayer
d thanksgiving. Rain did not come, nov
ever. and the atmosphere tonight is suff
ID eating. Fires are burning in the wood
. and pastures for miles around are scorche
a The farmers have lost many cattle in the:
h fires. which seem to spring up in a doze
e. places at once. Section hands along tt
a railroads are worn out from their pc
ot sistent struggles against the flames durir
the last fortnight To show to VIII
or straits the farmers are placed in 1t Wi
e. reported to-day that the starving herds
a cattle had been turned loose into the
r. field.
IL
lis Joining counties tell of intense sufferil
lie from the drouth. The drinking water
,r MANY towns has been polluted and t
lis white beds of the creeks are covered wi
decaying fish. The effect of the drouth
&C. Mclean County is rather strange.
rn former years, when rain fell cOpiously dl
" ing April and May, rattlesnakes were s
an dom found. This year, however, the mes
of ows and quarries are swarming with
100 reptiles While cutting grain the 9th
ct dav three immense rattlesnakes became
'es | tuined In the wheels of the reaper, and O
a was hurled upon the lap of a farmer. /
latter dispatched the reptile with Wn
fer stone and continued his work. Chint
nd bugs and all the pests of the garden
or. more numerous this year than ever befo
ar The drought in the Northern and Cent
ide tiers of counties of Illinois is not any nj
aid serious than it is in Wisconsin. The Badt
in State is literally burning up, fruit q
ed, crops are nearly destroyed, and IN so
1ld towns water is so scarce that the authC
ing ties have forbidden the sprinkling OF
he streets. The great numbering towns are
tn. dry as bone, and it would not take bu
IN, spark and high gale of wind to repeat
an wild scenes when the Peshtigo fires Of
Ill, drove thousands of people into the lake
led their necks.
I ed Reports from Northwestern Iowa st
lille that the drouth has been broken by refre
ele- ing showers. For weeks previous to
! to storm masses were said in the Gerr
i've. Catholic Church, of Carroll, and pray
had offered up in all the sectarian places
re- worship. When the first rain fell all
It a bells in the city were rung, and at night
ost- etores vvere illuminated and pvrotechl
'dIe burned